Morning Snowstorm Snarls Denver International Airport Operations: Over 500 Flights Delayed

December 28, 2025 at 06:43 PM•3 min read

Over 500 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport (DIA) Sunday after early snow, with Southwest Airlines and United Airlines facing the most significant operational

Key Points

1517 flights were delayed and 8 were canceled at Denver International Airport (DIA) by 2:30 p.m. Sunday due to early morning snow.
2Southwest Airlines reported the most delays at 180, followed by United Airlines with 142, highlighting the impact on DIA's largest carriers.
3The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not issue a ground stop, indicating the airport remained technically open, but de-icing and runway clearing caused significant operational bottlenecks.
4The disruption was caused by approximately 2.2 inches of snow accumulation at DIA, with delays persisting throughout the day.

Hundreds of flights faced delays at Denver International Airport (DIA) on Sunday. A wave of early morning snow dusted the Denver metro area. The winter weather created significant operational challenges for carriers. Southwest Airlines and United Airlines were the most affected.

As of 2:30 p.m. local time, 517 flights were delayed, according to flight tracking software FlightAware. An additional eight flights were canceled. This disruption occurred as the airport is a major hub for both domestic and international travel. The incident highlights the vulnerability of major air traffic hubs to even moderate winter weather.

Operational Impact and Airline Challenges

Roughly 2.2 inches of snow accumulated at DIA by 11 a.m. Sunday. This data comes from snowfall maps published by the National Weather Service. While this total is relatively light, it requires extensive de-icing and runway clearing operations. These procedures are critical for safe takeoffs and landings. They also introduce mandatory delays into the flight schedule.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that no ground stops or ground delays were in effect at 2:30 p.m. This suggests that the airport's infrastructure remained operational. However, the ripple effects of early morning snow persisted into the afternoon. Airline operational challenges were the primary cause of the continued delays.

Key Carrier Disruptions

Southwest Airlines, a major operator at DIA, recorded the highest number of delays. The carrier delayed 180 flights on Sunday. United Airlines, which maintains a large hub at DIA, followed closely. United reported 142 delayed flights. Regional carrier SkyWest Airlines saw 95 flights delayed. Other airlines also experienced significant service interruptions:

Frontier Airlines: 36 delayed flights
Delta Air Lines: 19 delayed flights
American Airlines: 18 delayed flights

Cancellations remained low compared to the volume of delays. Delta canceled four flights. Canadian regional airline Jazz canceled two flights. SkyWest and Frontier each canceled one flight. The focus for airlines was managing the backlog of delayed aircraft. This prevents a cascading effect across the national airspace system.

Broader Travel Context

This snow event also impacted ground transportation. Other parts of the Denver metro area snowfall totals ranged from 0.5 to 3.5 inches. Slick roads and traffic incidents complicated travel to and from the airport. Passengers were advised to allow extra time for their journey. Such weather-related events often lead to increased demand for commercial aviation news and real-time updates.

Airport and airline crews worked throughout the day to mitigate the disruptions. Their goal was to restore normal service as quickly as possible. The incident serves as a reminder of the complex logistics involved in winter weather airport operations at high-volume airports like DIA. For more updates on aviation news, visit flying.flights.